| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of TMCE 2010 Symposium, April 12-16, 2010, Ancona, Italy |
| Editors | I. Horv´ath, F. Mandorli, Z. Rus´ak |
| Place of Publication | Delft, Netherlands |
| Publisher | Delft University of Technology |
| Pages | 1189-1198 |
| Volume | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 2010 |
Bibliographical note
This is a published conference paper given at the Eighth International Symposium on Tools and Methods of Competitive Engineering, TMCE 2010 held in Ancona, Italy, April 12 - 16, 2010. The focus of the TMCE 2010 Symposium was on Virtual Engineering for Competitiveness. This Symposium was jointly organized by the Università Politecnica delle Marche, Italy, and the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands . Author's note: Significance: -The original inspiration for this extended piece of work came about as a response to urban congestion problems, particularly in large cities. The ambition has been to design and prototype vehicles employing lightweight structures powered by means other than the internal combustion engine. A range of electric drive systems has been adopted for propulsion, initially using battery and solar power, but adopting hydrogen fuel cells subsequently.
Whole vehicle design has always been at the heart of the project, devised with specific purposes and users in mind (eg. taxis). This approach has allowed all aspects of the vehicle to be re-evaluated in conjunction with developing a more sustainable drivetrain.
The project has grown steadily in scale allowing a range of experiments with alternative vehicles, fuels and drive systems. Global environmental concerns are being taken more seriously by governments and industry leaders.
The future of individualised transport products is likely to be in the integration of engineering and design innovation. From that, new products could emerge for mass use. As the Microcab project has developed, numerous partnerships with academic institutions, companies and other organisations have been formed to create a network of support structures to test particular concepts.
Originality: -
At the time of the paper Microcab was the only hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in the world available for evaluation by a public sector organisation such as a university.